Dagger: Chapter One

Chapter 1

Seventeen years ago

Up high by the cliff overlooking the northern sea, lays the headquarters of the Daggers from the north, Kina Shira in the northern province of Krajinyr. In the middle of the courtyard of the stronghold, there rested a huge tall tree. It had red leaves, and coal black large trunk that was wrapped with robust modest thorns and the branches were a plenty, tingling and webbing each other. This was where some of the more religious Daggers came to kneel down and pray to whomever Gods they believed in. Most often times, they pray for a successful hunt.

            Cameron and Odlanyar, two very well respected and well known senior Daggers from Kina Shira were proud to say that they were not very religious folks. These two men were the kind of people you’d least expect to beg for the Gods, because not only did they find it to be a major waste of time, they felt liked they looked very silly kneeling and talking to entities that clearly has no compassion for the world and life forms they had created, well that’s what they think anyway.

            Odlanyar Dunderin the Unyielding, with a title like that one would think he would be this big beefy man with large pumping muscles coming out his every limbs, however in actuality, he was this tall and lean man with a bald head, and thick brushy beard. If one would strip the man naked, one would see an abundance of scars and injuries that marked his years in the theatre of combat, thus the reason of his title, Unyielding. On his left shoulder there is a tattoo of a skull and directly under it are two long swords crossing each other in an x-mark arrangement, he had gotten this tattoo many years ago during his sailing years, when he was much younger.

Cameron Joshtorin the Master in the other hand was a medium heighted man with fair skin and dark hair just like the backcloth of the pale moonlight, and Cameron earned his title as the Master for his great ability to control every muscle in his entire body, something every other Dagger were still trying to perfect, which came in very advantageous for him when it comes to using all various types of weapons. Indeed, he was a master of every armament ranging from throwing knives to bows, swords to axes, he could use them all with ease and grace effortlessly.

Just like every other Daggers, these two had animal eyes, which were very useful for them to see through the darkness. Odlanyar had yellow animal eyes, while Cameron had red animal eyes. It fluctuates among different individuals as it may seem.

These two Daggers were very close, and what made them even closer was because of a popular Dagger by the name of Camley Joshtorin the Undying Black Owl. By the last name of this character, it can be easily deduce that this Camley was related to Cameron, and so it was undeniably true. Camley was Cameron’s older brother, and the both looked almost alike when it comes to facial structure and hair colour, except Camley was a few inches taller and slimmer and he was much keener in reading books and understanding the inner workings of dark magic, and so without a doubt Camley was an intelligent mind. So intelligent, that the Daggers, monarchs, and the common people would ask his advice for any mind-boggling problems that could not be simply solved by the swing of a sword. Camley the Undying Black Owl was also Odlanyar’s senior and mentor. Camley taught almost everything he could to Odlanyar, from philosophical notions to swordsmanship, from problem solving to sailing, Camley taught all that he could.

Because of good old Camley, Cameron and Odlanyar share a bond and also fruitfully moulded a strong friendship. And so, on a cold snowy Sunday morning that looks just like any other day and as the sun assuredly showed its bright ray down onto the land, especially the large tree in the middle of the courtyard called Shira’s Tree, the two Daggers woke up trembling and in incredulity in the stronghold they have not been in for many years ever since they were little apprentices. Cameron and Odlanyar dejectedly put on their Dagger armour and shine their silver retractable swords in their separate rooms, and once done, they both sighed.

For both of them knew this was the beginning of the hunt for the revered Undying Black Owl, their mentor and brother.

This was wrong. It was bad enough hunting down another Dagger, but hunting down family, it was unnatural and very sinful.

As been said before, Cameron and Odlanyar were not very religious people, but considering this was a special and if not harrowing occasion, they made a pact to pray before the hunt began.

Around after one hour of preparing, Cameron and Odlanyar walked out of their rooms, armoured and armed with Dagger equipment, and the first step out they took was the hardest, the second even so, and the third did not get easier at all, and so on. They sauntered separately alone to the middle of the courtyard where lies the giant coal black tree, which was without a qualm magical and ancient, where they promised to meet the day before.

The minute they arrived, they looked at each other, standing in front of the tree for a brief moment and noticed the heavy eyes of one another, knowing this wasn’t easy for any of them. “Are you prepared?” Cameron asked his friend after a fleeting second of pure silence, and the apprentices who saw them walked away straightaway for they knew about the two Daggers’ mission, to hunt the great Undying Black Owl. The apprentices’ skin prickled and spiked just the idea of fighting a dangerous man like Camley. They heard of daunting tales that espouses the Undying Black Owl’s feats, how he could take down a troll only by using his bare hands, and how he killed a dragon with just the silver Dagger sword. They also heard that Camley was a Seer, with one of his animal eyes red, and the other white, he can see both realm, and because of this rumours spiralled he was associated with ghosts and spirits, talking to them in the dead of night alone, and they talk back to him.

“No,” Odlanyar replied blankly. Aside from not being very religious, these two were also very well known for being impassive even amongst Daggers.

Cameron gave him a nod, and then the two of them knelt down on both knees at the same time as if they had practiced this for weeks, and having little knowledge of praying, they just spew out random words they knew. “Gods, this is going to be a hard one. Give me the courage to do what must be done,” Cameron heaved a sigh of gloom, while Odlanyar was begging to the Gods for this hunt to be quick.

A year before, the Daggers had gotten word that one of their own had been dabbling in and using dark magic without any boundaries, instigating several towns to be infected with some sort of deadly next level disease or curse perhaps that caused humans to turned into devilish distorted, hideously tainted monsters. The infection spread, and as a response the Daggers were dispatched to take care of the problem and found out the Dagger who caused this was unfortunately none other than Camley. As the infected were taken care of, Camley ran away elsewhere to safety. The Daggers discerned he had gone mad. And because of their relationship with the Undying Black Owl, Cameron and Odlanyar agreed that they were the ones who should hunt him down and end his madness.

Once they finished praying, they stated their Dagger vows:

I am the blade, the protector of men from all danger. In my blood I am hex and in my methods, I eradicate what harms the realm of men. I fear no evil, I pledge only to the highest order, I am no master, but a Dagger.

 After they said this, they packed and ride their horses out and began their pursuit soon after.

Beating hearts of the horses, and the pounding hoofs to the ground thumped the ground with startling speed and alacrity as they ride. Their horses were gone to major work, perspiring with great effort. They flogged their horses wrathfully nearly to death, only to stopped when the momentarily when the horses’ hoof were bleeding, and this was only the first day. What would happen if their horses were to die of exhaustion and overwork? They would run till their lungs bleed out and blood pumps through the course of their veins for the Undying Black Owl was smarter and a whole lot quicker.

Both of them were troubled and felt fretful by the whole experience. For two weeks ever since they left the stronghold up north, they keep most of the time by themselves, almost little to none uttering any words to one another, not even trying to open up a conversation. They were men on a perilous mission, a mission they weren’t so keen on finishing. When they meet Camley, they thought, what then? Would they just kill the man, and be done with it? And they weren’t even so sure they could end Camley’s life, no because of emotional detachment reasons, but they knew Camley was a dangerous man, a man not to be trifled with. Camley got the title as the Undying Black Owl, because he could not be killed, no man or beast has ever bested him in terms of brains and brawns. And in his state of madness, they didn’t know the full extent of his menace.

They had left Kina Shira by the Northern King’s Road, a highway stretching down to the south, travelling swiftly like the speed of light along the Northern Plains. And as they journey down, they were informed that Camley was last spotted in the province of Mauripa that was also known as the Desert Lands across the province of Ditengah, the province in the middle of the continent of Tanah and they went to the Desert Lands by sailing on the Balmaic Seas. On the way there, they helped around, killing and dealing with anything relating to magic hexing to monster slaying for they were still Daggers nonetheless. They met with old acquaintances on their journey, and as they helped the people they knew, their acquaintances helped them back in little ways.

Once they finally reached to the capital city of Mauripa, Mezhiphyr, they waste no time in questioning the locals if they saw a Dagger just like them riding a big black dire wolf, which Camley was also known for and soon after several days of inquiring around, they finally found out the Undying Black Owl’s whereabouts in an ancient temple tomb in the middle of the desert where the revered and wanted Dagger practiced his dark magic on the antediluvian bodies of the dead. The Daggers of the south convinced Cameron and Odlanyar they needed help in their quest, and so four skilled Daggers from Kina Pasir, the headquarters from the province of Mauripa joined in with the hunt.

 The Daggers from Kina Pasir were very quiet, but after several days travelling together they asked the two northern Daggers questions about Camley, questions none of them wanted to answer. However, they justified the Daggers from Kina Pasir have the right to know their hunt, for he might just be the deadliest one they will encounter. Cameron warned the southern Daggers that Camley has no known weaknesses, however in his state of mind he can be taken down with teamwork and enough effort. And with his dark magic in hand, Camley can be dangerous. None of the warnings and answers about the Undying Black Owl seemed to settle the southern Daggers question, it only but frightened them even more, doubting if they could even take down the illustrious and lethal Dagger.

After few weeks braving the harsh Desert Lands, they reached Camley’s whereabouts, the Tomb of Malikir, a large ancient temple tomb for an old ancient king of the Forgotten Times, it was hemmed in by tons and tons of sand and thus was buried underground. Only one of the towers of the whole structure was sticking out of the sand, and so all of them went in via the big window.

When they enter the tomb, it was dark but thanks to their animal eyes, they were able to see. As they made few steps in, the rancid smell of the rising undead wrecked their noses.

Certainly the rising dead had something to do with Camley’s dark magic. They fought their way through, bashing and slashing the walking corpses until they reached Malikir’s capacious and dusty tomb throne, where Camley and Malikir were anticipating the Daggers arrival.

It seemed Malikir, one of the eight Forgotten Kings had been risen back to life by Camley.

Malikir, King of the Slaves was written down in history to be a wicked and repulsive soul. It was said that he sacrificed two thousand of his slaves to summon a Titan, but thankfully there was a revolt against him and his ritual failed. And because of his foul soul, when Camley summoned him back to life, Malikir was nauseating ghastly looking. He had horns of the devils spiking out his cranium, and his corrupted flesh was decaying red, his eye sockets were terrifyingly empty as well. And his teeth were sharp long and many. His arms were stretched and emaciated, and his fingers were thorny and pointy. Below his waist was nothing but dark spectral aura that keeps him afloat above the ground.

Malikir filled the air with haunting hums, and waste no time attacking the Daggers blasting out dark magical projectiles out his palms and if he got close to one of the Daggers he would scratch them with his sharp nails, while Camley summoned more of the dead to help by his side fighting against his brothers.

And so a battle of epic proportion was fought in the vast hall of Malikir’s tomb throne, seven Daggers against an army of the undead, Camley’s dire wolf named Varnyrs also joined in, Malikir the Forgotten King of Slaves, and the Undying Black Owl himself.

 The Daggers used holy light hexes, a magic like spell the Daggers were trained in and unlocked copiously when they finished their Trials of Blood, and while these were just mere mystic puffs compared to what a real mage can do, they serve the Daggers very well when it comes to fighting the supernatural. In order for a Dagger to use a hex, they have to touch their enemy using their palms, and there are many forms of hexes, most common were to stun, repel, cause explosion, and elemental release. Because a Dagger was not fully a mage, they can’t unlock any strong spells or rerelease spectral projectiles out.

Daggers with their great speed and agility could jump and sprint faster than any normal mortal, and they also have great strength of five men. And with this enhanced capabilities, Odlanyar along with the four Daggers from Kina Pasir held off Malikir and the undead army. It was easy enough dealing with the walking corpses as they were rotting already, but Malikir considering how evil he was in his past life, was difficult to be taken down for his form was much supreme than that of a normal undead. Meanwhile, Cameron was fighting against his brother, Camley and his dire wolf. Cameron the Master, even his great abilities has having trouble keeping up with the attacks his brother was lashing, and Camley wasn’t even using his full strength.

The battle rage on for an hour, but with his silver Dagger sword combined with his great skill in the battlefield, Odlanyar was able to get close to Malikir and stabbed the undead king through the chest and used an explosion hex on his ugly nasty mug, causing Malikir to recoil back.

Seeing his ally was about to fall, Camley changed his course of plans. He discharged an ethereal energy of powerful ray, that it nearly blinded all of the Daggers. And with the Daggers being stunned by the ray of light, Camley opened up a secret passage, and riding Varnyrs, he escaped the battlefield through the secret passage, leaving Malikir and the his army of the dead left to their extermination by the Daggers..

 It took only a few moments of rubbing for the Daggers to have their visions cleared back, but it was too late as they found out Camley was already gone from the throne room. Straightaway discerned that Malikir was already weak from Odlanyar’s mighty attack, Sajib, one of the Daggers from Kina Pasir told Cameron and Odlanyar to chase after Camley before it was too late. “We can handle Malikir and the walking dead. Go now!” he said.

Cameron and Odlanyar were then whipped into action, they enter the passage and sprinted through it, and not before long they have Camley and Varnyrs in their sight. Perceptive he was being followed, Camley with a new form of hex he chanted strange words, touched the walls with his palms, and a symbol was immediately drawn on it, and when Cameron and Odlanyar got close to it, an explosion erupted that blasted them back few feet away. When the explosion occurred, Odlanyar used his own body to save Cameron, causing him to lose his right arm.

For a brief moment, Camley stopped and turned to see that the man who he considered his brother and pupil was injured and maybe it was a feeling of guilt for he frowned at the damaged he had done. He wanted to turn back and help perhaps, but it was too late, he must have considered. The damage was done.

Odlanyar not having enough strength to chase after Camely after the blast, told Cameron to continue the pursuit. And so, Odlanyar still alive, but barely sat on the dusty ground and back against the wall rested, while Cameron continued the hunt.

When Cameron finally caught up to Camley, who was surprisingly waiting in the middle of the secret passage, he was already half way through to the end but for some unknown reason stopped.  Cameron noticed how calm Camley was, just like a Vuddhist Monk. Camley was sitting on Varnyrs, his back was facing Cameron.

“Why? What is the whole purpose of this madness brother?” Cameron finally spoke out to his brother, and yelled at him demanding the reasons for his madness.

“Why?!” Camley paused and turned to give his brother an answer. “Every creature that lives and breathes in this world automatically develops a pattern to equalise the natural environs, except for one species, the humans. Don’t you get it my little brother? We as a species weren’t meant to live, as we reproduce and reproduce, we disrupt the flow of the world by destroying other life forms. Don’t you get it? We have the same pattern of a disease. We as humans are the dangerous disease there is. We are no good for this world, and we should die. The entire human species should cease to exist for this world to live prosperously.”

Madness came out of his mouth. These were the words of a man with an unstable mind, or maybe Camley was too smart for his own and perhaps, the entire human species’ good. Maybe Camley actually has a point, but Cameron shrugged it off.

It was an opportunity, and so Cameron took the chance, the second Camely finished his speech, Cameron pull out his wristbow, hidden under his sleeves, and heavy-heartedly shot a bolt right at Camley’s chest, where the heart was. Cameron never misses. The hit, withdrew Camley away, but then he turned back to face Cameron and said to him in an angry tone, “Do it then brother, finish me,” with arms opened, still holding on to his weapon. With those words, Cameron was lashed into another attack. He placed another bolt and shot it right at his brother’s heart yet again. And then another and another, till there were no more bolts in his inventory, and strange even, Camley let his brother have his way with him. It was as if Camley wanted to die, maybe at that ephemeral moment, Camley had come to his senses and felt the heavy burden of his guilt and the sins he had done, and thought the best thing to do was perish.

Cameron couldn’t possibly best his brother in a proper fight, and Camley could have easily dodged the bolts coming right at him so that must means, Camley wanted it. He wanted to be shot, that’s the only possible reason.

And so it was, Camley’s last sight was that of his brother’s face and his silver Dagger sword flying high above him as it shines in the midst of darkness. And at his last dying strength he scratch his left forearm using his nails, and as he cut open a wound, he fingered in deep as the blood flowed out, and then he used his last fading breathe to utter an enchanted words of mysterious hidden meaning. It was perhaps a tear that came out of Cameron’s eye when he knew the life of Camley was no more as the revered Undying Black Owl fell off backwards from Varnyrs the black dire wolf, arms spread, the split pupils of the mismatched eyes quickly rolled upward. And once Camley’s body hit the ground with the sound of his armour clashing the stone floor, a dark transparent spectral like figure came out of Camley’s body and soon vanished in the thin air, and Varnyrs as if he knew what to do, ran away immediately to the end of the passage and soon disappeared, leaving his master’s meagre body to its death. The Undying Black Owl was dying, and soon death swallowed him, slew by the bolts shot by his own brother.

Odlanyar barely walking straight, and helped by Sajib who too was badly injured finally caught up and the first thing they saw was Cameron standing next to his dead brother. And Odlanyar stared down at Camley’s dead corpse determined that the man lying there was once a great man, and probably to Cameron, Camley was still one hell of a great man he has ever known and love.

Both of the Daggers tried to exhale the stress and asphyxia inside of them, they knew from day one that when they finished this hunt it would still be deficient for they have lost one of their own, but they exhaled anyway for the hunt was done and the threat has been nullified. However so, they never actually did figure how and why Camley became mad as he did, but considering he was no more, they care little of the thought and shrugged it off.

Sajib, this young Dagger, unfortunately was the only survivor from the fight against Mailikir and the undead slaves. The other three were dead by the hands of the King of Slaves, who apparently even after Odlanyar’s hefty assault was still resilient.

 As they stood together, staring down at Camley, they couldn’t help but noticed that there seemed to be a voice whining out at the end of the passage. Wailings of a baby they finally deduced, after hearing it clear enough. They thought for a second it must have been another one of Camley’s trap, but the wailing became self-evident.

It was clearly a baby, a human baby.

They walked to the end of the tunnel, after Odlanyar drank a potion to relinquish the pain, hurry as they could for the baby’s wailing became louder and louder, once they got closer and saw a bright light coming out that was when they changed their mind. All three remaining Daggers, bruised and injured paused and measured this situation very cautiously. What in the Seven Heavens, does a baby have any business doing in an ancient temple tomb such as this? Now with that thought in cognizance, they were sure this was a trap. Camley was smart of course, and so he must have set up traps for a backup plan. Camley always has his backup plans. But the wailings, they seemed too real not to ignore.

Sajib unexpectedly convinced the other two it wasn’t a trap. He was very sure of it, the way he said it was unlike him. “What if it’s a child, we can’t just leave it here,” he said it as if he was possessed. And Cameron and Odlanyar found it hard to defy Sajib’s argument, what if it was a baby, and if they don’t save the child, what then? And so after a perilous moment of thinking it through, they continued walking and took a look if it was really a human baby crying for attention.

Once they reached to the end of the tunnel, they come to a small room, with another connecting passage that directed out to the surface, which no doubt how Varnyrs the black dire wolf escaped. And by the sight of it, they were rattled for nothing was there but a small babe with features of a southerner wrapped in clean cloth. They rubbed their eyes, thinking it was a trick, and that if they got any close to it, another explosion might erupt out of nowhere.

Nonetheless, they braved on. And as the three got close to the infant, the first thing the babe did was stopped crying and then smiled at them, and it shined them hope of a better future for some reason. “What is the meaning of this?” Cameron asked. He couldn’t quite make up of the situation they were in, what did Camley wanted to do with this babe, he thought, and the thoughts became a question to the group. And none of them know the answer.

Sajib carried the baby, and unusually enough, she gave him a stern look of disapproval. Something clearly a baby would not do. And then in a weird consternation of moment, Sajib suggested to the rest, “We should take her back.”

They thought this for a passing moment and agreed, Odlanyar, who had only one arm said, “We will bring this child back to Kina Shira, and also the body of Cameron.” Cameron settled, but Sajib bizarrely tried his best to convince the other two Daggers that the babe should be with him, but soon gave up and let Odlanyar take the baby for it was just plain weird, like what the hell was going through his head. That just sounds oddly wrong and messed up, almost mega creepy like.

They turned back to get Camley’s dead body, and along with the baby, the got out of the ancient temple tomb.

Odlanyar and Cameron rode back north to Kina Shira along with Camley’s body, where it will be buried. And the baby girl will go to the Dagger’s sanctuary, where she will train as a Dagger and join the same rank as her saviours. Sajib, in the other hand went back to Kina Pasir alone, with three less Daggers by his side.

And so it was, with the hunt of the revered Undying Black Owl concluded another tale of to some marginal extent, not to boast, epic tale began.